The Good Kind
by Nicole Lo
Summary: For a woman scorned, there's no better revenge than murder... A Degrassi Movie Remake featuring Emma and Ellie.
1. Default Chapter

The Good Kind

By: Nicole Lopez

Summary: Emma and Ellie have been bonding, more than ever since Sean has gone. But it hasn't made anything better, only worse. Emma becomes an outcast in her own house, while Ellie tries to cope with Sean leaving. But then Ellie has a brilliant idea … they could go down to Wasaga Beach and make Sean see what he is missing. Then maybe Ellie will be able to admit that she loves him. But, worse comes to worse when antisocial behavior takes over… bad summary, but r/r anyway

OOC

Chapter One: Do You Wanna

"He robbed me of everything I had, tortured my soul. Left me in the rain to suffer forever more." Ellie began, the first willing person to read her poetry assignment aloud to the class. "And as I lie in the dark waiting for someone, I knew that it was not over. It was just beginning because this robbery … this desperateness became all I was." Her voice began to break.

"It consumed me and took away everything. Until I was no more, until we meant nothing. But we do mean something …"

Emma raised her hand, sick of listening to Ellie's woe is me act.

"Yes, Ms. Nelson?" Mr. Brown asked, barely letting Ellie finish reading the end of her poem. "You have a comment about the poem?"

"Actually I wanted the bathroom pass." Emma yawned as a few kids behind her snickered. "But now that you mention it … I find her poem pathetic and meaningless. I mean who wants to hear about someone's depression? Get over it." Emma stared at Ellie, waiting for a response.

"If I were a made of plastic, I wouldn't feel anything either. Tell me, what's it like to have everything in your life fit into your perfect Barbie world?" Ellie mocked Emma, saying things that she'd always felt towards her, but knowing at the same time, that she was the only one who …

"It's great." Emma answered, picking up the bathroom pass and walking out of the door as a few heads turned in her direction. She had taken notes from Manny and learned how to control a room, how to make everything be about her, but most of all, how to forget about the empty feeling inside of her that was telling her that something was less than perfect.

"Hey!" Emma smiled at Chris, who was gawking so hard that his once ex-girlfriend Melinda was giving him evil looks. Emma continued smiling, making her way over to Ellie who was off again writing in some corner, back to wearing all black as if she were in mourning. "Guess who." She sat down beside Ellie who barely glanced up. "You know you are supposed to be tutoring me."

"Not in the middle of the school day." Ellie looked around, noticing that they were the only two out there. "I'm surprised that you have time to talk to me. Shouldn't you be studying?" Ellie wondered, a little bitter about what had happened this morning.

"No. I don't need to study. You know that." Emma declared as Ellie reluctantly shut her notebook.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, so you're still hurt about this morning?" Emma smiled. "Don't be so sensitive hon. It's not like I meant it. We've both been robbed, remember?"

"I thought your life was perfect." Ellie shot back as Emma pulled her in for a hug.

"You can't really believe that I believe that can you? Huh?" Emma took Ellie's face in her hands, forcing her to look Emma in the eye. "I didn't mean anything by it." Emma promised, air kissing Ellie's cheeks and slowly walking away. Ellie's dark cloud was starting to depress her.

"Ellie, is that you?" Ms. Nash wondered as Ellie tried to hide among the shadows in the darkened house.

"Yeah mom." She whispered, knowing that her mother had probably been in that same spot on the couch for days now. But, it wasn't normal for her to actually acknowledge Ellie's presence. Ever since news had come that her father was missing in action, Ms. Nash had poured herself back into a drunken stupor. The fact that she even knew right from left was nothing short of a—

"Get me a beer, will you?"

"I've got work." Ellie yelled back, rushing up the stairs, almost slamming the door behind her. Instantly, she picked up the phone and dialed Emma's number.

"Hey. Evidently, I'm too busy to pick up the phone right now. I may or may not get back to you. Just call back later." Emma's answering machine picked up as Emma slammed down the phone. "Great." A few moments later, she picked up the phone again and immediately redialed.

"You can leave now." Emma told Chris, who had honestly thought he had a chance with her.

"What?" Chris looked amazed, still under the covers with Emma's half-naked body.

"Did you actually think it meant something?" She pulled out a cigarette. "Oh. Poor baby." Emma sat up, immediately applying some lip gloss to her lips. Her rendezvous with Chris had been less than pleasing and she was still plagued by that feeling of emptiness.

"You serious then?"

"No, I'm kidding." Emma stared at Chris. "Now get the hell out." As Chris hurried to gather up his clothing, Emma's phone began to ring. Taking her time to search for it, Emma ran her hands along one of her old drawers. Sometimes when her mother called herself cleaning up, she put everything out of order.

"Gotcha." Emma muttered, lifting the phone off of an old framed picture of Sean.

"Emma." Ellie began, sobbing quietly.

"What is it?"

"I don't think I can …" Her voice trailed off as she dropped the phone and picked up the knife she had stored under the mattress in her bed, just in case. This time, she was going to actually use it.

(A/N: I know this is a little confusing, but I'm trying to make some Degrassi characters fit into a mold with a movie I like to make fun of. I think it's going to be a "thriller" and it will be a little odd, but stay tuned.-)


	2. Run Away Together

Chapter Two: Run Away Together

"Hey babe." Emma said as soon as Ellie answered her phone, pretending to be Sean. "What are you up to?" Ellie shrugged as though Emma could hear her. "Feeling better?

"Yeah." Ellie sighed.

"Does that sigh mean what I think it does? Did you so something stupid?" Emma wondered.

"Don't call me stupid." Ellie narrowed her voice. She hated that word. That's what her mother called her whenever she got too drunk to stand up.

"I'm not calling you stupid hon. Did you …"

"I'm fine." Ellie answered sitting on her bed, a little annoyed that Emma disrupted the relaxing sensation of blood oozing down her pale arms. "But, I was thinking, you know that thesis I have to do for Kwan's class?"

"No. I haven't even started mine." Emma laughed to herself. "I'm getting Craig to do it for me.

"And how are you going to do that?" Ellie stopped to listen for a second, even though that seemed like all she ever did anymore.

"With the gift that all women were given." She smiled to herself. "It's amazing what a guy will do when he's lost his 'so-called' true love and when everyone thinks he's a freak because he's bi-polar."

"Oh." Ellie sighed. "Back to my thesis. What would you say if I told you I found the perfect ingredient to happiness?" She wondered.

"I would say I've already found it. It's called control. Control over other people, of your life, of sex." Emma giggled. "And Chris actually thought he meant something." She whispered to herself.

"All that is temporary. I'm talking about taking your pain and harnessing it… giving it back to the person that caused it all." Ellie forced herself to think about something other than Sean.

"You mean getting back at your mother? How boring would that be?" Emma sighed.

"Not her … but maybe someone who has broken you with their broken promises … or maybe we can make them hurt just as much as they've made us hurt." Ellie added.

"What do you mean? Sean? I'm over him." Emma lied, tossing her hair over her shoulder insecurely.

"And what would you say if he was back and daring Kendra Mason."

"You've got to be shitting me. That Chink." Emma scoffed as her rage began to grow.

"She's Korean." Ellie rolled her eyes.

"Same difference."

"No, they're—anyway," She began, knowing that Emma's mind had become as narrow at they get. "I still think we owe Mr. Cameron a little visit … tell him how we feel."

"And if that doesn't work?" Emma wondered, letting herself be completely guided by Ellie.

"We'll get to have some real fun."

(A/N: I know, it was short, but I only have one review right now and I want to make sure someone is reading this before I continue. It's not conventional at all and involves a complete transformation of Ellie and Emma … if you want more on that, let me know. And, for the second time, I am pairing up Sean with Kendra, but it's a lot different now. Just tell me what you think and I'll keep going! –NL)


	3. It Was Your Best Line

Chapter Three: It Was Your Best Line EVER

Ding dong. Sean got up from his living room, wondering who would be coming over this hour. His parents had moved back to Degrassi and were out on a date and he was really busy studying the moves of his biggest competitor. Jason Lake.

"Coming." Sean ran to the door and opened it to find himself face to face with Emma Nelson. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just seeing how you were. Since you've been back at Degrassi, you've been a stranger." She smiled, welcoming herself in.

"You weren't too warm when I came back so I didn't know that you cared." Sean answered, running his hands through his hair with a sigh. Emma Nelson now-a-days only meant trouble. And to think, he actually had real feelings for her.

"I know what you're thinking." Emma began, making herself comfortable on his couch and eating a couple of his chips that were laying on the table.

"When is she going to get the hell out of here?" Sean almost yelled as Emma put her legs up on the table.

"No. What can I do to get her back?" She smiled to herself, saying aloud what she thought Sean should be feeling. "I heard you were dating _Kendra._"

"Yeah. She's real genuine." Sean retorted. "So, what does it mean to you?"

"You don't have to pretend to like her because she's the closest thing you can get to me." Emma got up, circling around you.

"I'm not interested Emma. Kendra means more to me than you ever will." He shot back.

"Ouch." Emma pretended to be hurt. "Who says it's all about you anyway … You're getting a little too fat for me. And the sex wasn't that great anyway." She added, trying to cover up her own insecurities. "Maybe we should get Kendra's opinion on it." Sean looked away. "Oh you guys are waiting. How cute."

"Just get out of here before I say something I regret." Sean warned her.

"So Kendra _is _coming over here tonight." Emma smiled. "Maybe you should tell her to get lost … you know she might see something she doesn't want to." She continued.

"Look, Kendra isn't going to be here and you need to go." Sean gave in, opening the door.

"Thank you." Emma kissed Sean swiftly before walking out of the house triumphed. She and Ellie knew all they needed to institute their plan.

"Hey." Kendra smiled at Sean, surprising him as he opened the door surprised. This was his second interruption today, but he would prefer to see Kendra at his doorstep than Emma any day.

"Hey," Sean said letting her into the house as she hugged him tightly.

"Studying our opponents?" She wondered, sitting on the couch and looking at the video he had left running. "Wow, he's good."

"I know." Sean sighed, sitting beside her.

"But you can take him." Kendra added with a grin as Sean noticed that she had her hood on.

"Was it cold out there or something?" He wondered, pulling at the hood.

"No." Kendra giggled. "The real reason I came over here was because … I wanted to get your opinion on something." Kendra uncovered her once very long blonde hair was replaced by a short, deep red and black one.

"Oh my God." Sean whispered.

"Do you like it or … not?" Kendra wondered unsurely.

"It's a hell of a lot better than that blonde." Sean laughed. "It's perfect." He wrapped his arms around her taking in her scents and the beauty of just being with her. They hadn't made anything official yet, but being with Kendra was like a breath of fresh air after years of inhaling smoggy air. Actually, they'd been playing this game all along. The some times "friend" some times "dating" thing, but he had something that he really wanted to tell her. Kendra had been there for her and didn't treat him like some reject for coming back to Degrassi and when his relationship with Ellie crumbled to the ground, she was there to kick him in the ass so that he'd keep going.

"You hated the blonde?" Kendra wondered as Sean smiled in a day dream. "Why didn't you say anything?" She laughed. Her laughter was contagious. Everything about her was so … different from anything he'd ever had in the past. It was refreshing and worthwhile, which was why he wanted to tell her that … he loved her.

"I have something to say to you." He began out-of-the-blue.

"Uh-oh. Does it involve one of the exes?" Kendra shot back looking at Sean intensely.

"No. It's about me and you … Kendra, I think I lo--" His words were cut off by the sound of his house alarm going off.

"I'll go see what it is." Kendra stood up, heading to the kitchen before Sean could intervene. Immediately, she was forcefully hit in the head by a baseball bat and she fell to the ground with a thud.

"Kendra?" Sean saw her fall to the ground, also being hit once, but blocking the second hit.

In a fit of both chaos and confusion, Sean began to fight back against his attacker, going so far as to follow him outside as he continued to dodge baseball bat hits.

"I'll take care of it." Another attacker appeared, tripping Sean from behind and kicking him mercilessly, even as he crumbled into a ball. "That's for … all the shit you've put me through!" The voice yelled as the other attacker tried to get his accomplice to stop.

"What are you doing? Stick to the plan."

"Fuck the plan." Sean continued to be beaten until he could no longer fight back because he was no longer moving.

"Stop! Stop. I think he's dead." Silence followed as Emma pulled off her mask foolishly. "No he isn't." She muttered. "I'm not going to let that bastardget away with everything."

"He's gone." Ellie whispered, crumbling to the ground.

"No. I'm not done … I haven't gotten my revenge … I don't feel free." Emma started crying, reflecting on how she so stupidly ran back into Sean's arms when he'd returned to Degrassi. Since Ellie didn't want him anymore, she was a viable choice. And she so stupidly thought that sex was the way to prove her love to him so she lost both her virginity and a baby, to an abortion and thought about it everyday since. It was all because of him. "No." Emma whispered as Ellie held her tightly, trying to formulate a plan to get them out of this. She was not going to let them go down for something like this.

Knowing good and well that Sean wasn't dead, but merely unconscious, Ellie dragged his body back into the house, next to Kendra's doing the only thing that she could to make sure no evidence got traced back to the house.

"It was an accident." She whispered, watching the house go up in flames with a feeling of triumph. This is the exact freedom she had been looking for … no regret, no guilt, nothing …

(A/N: Just say something … I thought I had another chapter for you but I guess not. Review. –NL)

**To come: a flaw in Ellie/Emma's plan, division among the two**


	4. Too Bad I Fell for it

Chapter Four: Que Importancia?

"Sean. Sean!" Kendra screamed, as smoke filled the house and her lungs. "Please." She whispered, crowding into a corner and thinking of how she was going to get them out of this.

Continuing to crawl around the house, using the floor as a guide, Kendra stumbled upon Sean's lifeless body.

"Ahh!" She screamed, almost succumbing to the voice that was telling her that it was over. "Come on." Kendra whispered, dragging Sean out through the kitchen and to the back door. She was almost there …

"Not so fast." Ellie whispered, completely disguised again and ready to do whatever was necessary to ensure that no one messed with her plan. "Get her." She commanded Emma.

Immediately, before Kendra could completely remove Sean's body from the house, Emma knocked her over the head with a shovel, not hard enough to kill her, but just enough to knock her unconscious.

"Now what do we do?" Emma wondered stupidly. Ellie shook her head. She always had to come up with everything. If her uncle hadn't been a cop, she wouldn't know anything about covering tracks, but Emma was just plain … dumb.

"Get Sean back into the house. We're taking Kendra for a ride."

"B-But …" Emma began. "I can't do it.' She sighed.

"What? You wanted to get revenge. You wanted to feel free and now when it's finally without our reach, you want to just throw it away!" Ellie choked back angrily as Emma cowered like a child. The only way to get this done was to do it herself.

"I'll show you. I'll take care of this and you get Kendra." She commanded, covering up the mess Kendra made when she was trying to escape. Ellie had already planted everything … the "cooking fire" the failed attempt to make it out of the house. Everything was going to work out … if Emma didn't screw it up.

A few hours later

"You take care of this part, okay? This way I won't be the one that did everything." Ellie explained as Emma sat back and nodded like a helpless child.

"I'm sorry." Emma whispered, wiping away tears that were forming up in her eyes. She turned away because she didn't want Ellie to think she was weak. It was almost pathetic at how much Emma cared about Ellie's opinion of her. All the guys she had didn't mean anything … as long as Ellie saw her as something …

"Thank you." Emma nodded as Ellie handed, just glad that she wasn't the one who had to actually _kill _anyone. Her job was easy. All she had to do was dump the body.

Emma jumped as Ellie shut the car door. "Get out of here, will you?" She asked as Emma nodded graciously, rushing to her car and leaving without a second glance. Ellie had a plan that was working, and she was taking care of everything. Just like she promised.

A few days later

"Were you even planning on coming?" Craig wondered as Ellie practically jogged beside him to keep up. She had completely forgotten … it had been three days since she was supposed to go to Craig's house, and four since Sean got what he deserved.

"Craig--" She began.

"Or were you just messing around?" He stopped suddenly.

"I got caught up with a couple of things. I'm sorry." Ellie spat out. "It's not like it was a date or anything." Craig caught her eye as she saw of flash of fire as if to say it was a date.

"Guess I won't be making the same mistake again." He muttered, walking at an abnormally fast speed again.

"Don't be an idiot." Ellie sighed glancing downwards. When she realized that wasn't working, Ellie began over. "Craig … do you have time for Aristotle night?" She smiled as he turned around, nodding.

"Only if I get a chance to freestyle too."

"Freestyle? I don't know about that." Ellie forced herself to smile, letting Craig get dangerously close to touching her hand as they walked past Emma.

"Hey Emma. We're on for tonight right?" JT begged as Ellie and Craig caught Emma's attention. "Emma!"

"I'll see what's going on. Talk to me later." She mumbled, ready to go after Ellie, who had turned down two hallways, but being intercepted by Jay.

"Hey." He greeted Emma as she turned all of her anger into passion, kissing him wildly in the hallway. "We're going out tonight." She demanded, squeezing his butt as she walked past him. Emma smiled. Guys were so easy … and maybe going out with Jay could make her forget what was really bothering her.

"Did you touch anything?" Detective Mandy demanded to know, looking over at the unconscious body that had been dumped into the woods.

"I waited until you got here." Her partner shot back, equally annoyed. It seemed like no matter what was going on, they ended up getting angry with each other. They were just so incompatible.

"Good." Mandy grumbled, ignoring the fact that it was bothering her that she and Evan never got along.

"It looks like a hit and run." Evan commented.

"Eh." Mandy began. "Looks more like this girl got into a fight with someone, was knocked out, and was dumped here … left for dead." She finished as Evan shrugged. "Gotten any news on that fire?"

"Michael said it was a kitchen fire. No homicide. Nothing that involves us." He spat out.

"Well, I want to know anyway. Find out who this girl is, get her to the hospital, and let's get to that scene where the fire was."

"Why?" Evan questioned, playing into the whole 'give-Mandy-a-hard-time' game.

"I like to know what's going on here." She responded, heading to the car. "And I don't like to be left in the dark."

"So, what do you think of this?" JT wondered, showing off some new trick he had learned from his cousin, still not getting Emma's hint earlier.

"I'd say so what? What's so great about a skateboard?" Emma chimed in, taking a puff of her fresh cigarette before looking around. "It's funny how you hang out with these misfits now." She smiled.

"What do you want Emma?" JT growled, holding his board close to his body.

"Hmm … that's a good question." She smiled mysteriously. "I'd have to say…" Emma's attention drifted over to Ellie who had her arm wrapped up in Craig, who was looking at her intensely. "I have to go." She whispered, detachedly, following them and almost walking up to them before remembering who she was and where she was going.

"Stupid." Emma muttered, trying to keep her cool. Here she was sweating this thing out, waiting for the police to question her and all Ellie could do was find a new boy toy? "The nerve."

"Of who?" Jay wondered, coming up to Emma and wrapping his arms around her, taking the opportunity to touch every part of her body in sight.

Jay kissed her abruptly as Emma responded, "Did I _say _you could touch me?" She dropped her cigarette quickly, walking in the other direction. Looking back over at JT, she realized that he had Liberty wrapped in his arms and that she wasn't going to get to have any fun today.

"What's with you?" Jay wondered, apparently talking about how she had been all over him earlier, but Emma had spaced out.

"Nothing. Just don't touch me in public okay?' She held her hands out, realizing how suddenly bored she was with everyone. All guys were the same, felt the same. There was no differentiation, nothing that made her feel … it. Seeing Ellie with Craig had made her rehash that whole situation with herself, Manny, and Craig … how _she _was the one who had liked him first, but never got a chance, never got to …

"Are you Emma Nelson?" a young man dressed in a suit wondered.

"Who wants to know?" She looked him up and down, thinking that maybe she should try older men … again.

"DPD." He held out his badge. (Degrassi Police Department) "I'd like to ask you a few questions." He admitted. "_We._" A female counterpart joined in as Emma shrugged, internally sighing. This was it. The moment of truth. And if she screwed it up, Ellie would have all hell to pay for it.

**To come: Emma is questioned by the police, clues about the murder, Ellie and Craig grow closer**


	5. And I Walked Alone

Chapter Five: And I Walked Alone

(A/N: Sean and his parents back at Degrassi, living in a house.)

"What do you want to know?" Emma wondered as both detectives led her to a small office.

"Where were you on the night of January 31st?"

Emma laughed. "If I tell you that could get me in a lot of trouble … with my parents I mean."

"Are you admitting to assaulting this girl?" Evan wondered, showing Emma a picture of Kendra Mason. Mandy nudged her partner, shaking her head. He was doing everything all wrong.

"Kendra Mason." Emma scoffed. "Yeah right. That girl is so butch … no one would mess with her."

"You're avoiding the question." Mandy stepped in. "Where were you that night?"

"With a not so friend-like friend, doing things that only lovers do." Emma laughed as Evan looked away embarrassed. Recently, she'd been thinking about moving onto older guys and this detective was a hot as they came.

"Can we get a name?" Mandy wondered.

"Of course." Emma tossed her hair back. "First, there was Jay and then JT York, and maybe Chris … I'm not sure. I was at one of Paige Michelchuck's parties. Her place is always a blast."

"Look. Enough of this." Mandy spoke up again. "Were you at Sean Cameron's house on the day of his murder?"

"Murder?" Emma pretended to look shocked. "I thought it was a fire. Did he make it?" She continued, instantly putting on the super-interested, compassionate role.

"No. Unfortunately not." Evan responded, giving Mandy an evil glance. They didn't even know what happened at the Cameron house and she was already making crazy assumptions and connections.

"Oh my God." Emma began to breathe rapidly as if she was about to panic. "I can't believe it." The detectives watched her pretend to be sad for a while, even though it looked really genuine, before Evan stepped in and let Emma cry on his shoulder.

"You can go now," He said after she had settled.

"But we're not done." Mandy whispered.

"We are for today. I mean, look at her." Evan commented as Emma continued crying until she was out of the school.

"You so should've been there. It was so cool." Emma told Ellie as soon as they were out of earshot and away from anyone that would recognize them. They were heading towards the back woods near the school that lead to the main roads.

"What did they ask you?" Ellie asked, thinking about her conversation with Craig earlier. She couldn't wait until she saw him again.

"Exactly what you thought they did. And I was of course my charming self. I even put on the waterworks when they told me the bad news." Emma explained.

"What bad news?" Ellie stopped suddenly, looking back and forth between Emma's left and right eye.

"Kendra is evidently still alive and kicking." Emma whispered as Ellie kicked the rock in front of her and threw down her bookbag.

"Shit! Shit." She tried to calm down, but instead ended up yelling again. "Ahh! What did you do?"

"Me? I didn't do anything … only what you told me to do." Emma responded.

"You're right. It's cool." Ellie calmed down too suddenly, which always meant trouble. Everything was fine when she was talking, but when she was quiet … Emma didn't know what to expect.

"Cool." Emma nodded. "So, you wanna come over so I can tell you about the hot detective that questioned me? He is soo my type." She giggled.

"No … I mean I can't." Ellie answered distractedly.

"What? Why not?" Emma wondered, suddenly becoming needy.

"Well, you're never going to believe it, but … Craig and I are going to hang out." She answered.

"Are you into him?" Emma asked, really interested in what Ellie was going to say next.

"I don't know. He's really not my type at all, but we just clique. I mean … I don't know. I know I'm on the rebound from Sean, but this might be good for me." She retorted, truly expressing herself to someone for once.

"And do you really think he won't be giving it to some other chick on the side? Think about it Ellie. He's a guy. That's what they do … and we both know that you're not willing to go that far." Emma teased her as Ellie looked down, embarrassed.

"I never said we were dating or exclusive or anything. He's just a really cool guy I know. See ya." Ellie walked off, running the rest of the way until Emma saw her meet up with Craig, hugging him. They looked so … happy. "Ugh."

"Hey, what's up with you?" Jay wondered.

"What are you my shadow now? I need space." Emma mumbled, pushing him away.

"Look Em, I don't know what's up with you, but either you want to be with me, or you don't." Jay shouted as Emma kept walking. "The police questioned me too you know." Emma stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around.

"And what did you say?"

"I said that I didn't know you and that you weren't at that party." He joked.

"What?" Emma scowled.

"I told them that was the night—" Jay began, but Emma cut him off.

"Yeah, I know." She sighed.

"That you finally let me see who you are. And you're beautiful Emma. I love who you are when no one else is around, but your obsession over your public image sucks." Jay smirked. "If they knew you as I did…" He brushed her face lightly.

"Jay. Do not do this here." She pushed him as Jay backed Emma into a corner, forcing his tongue down her throat. "Jay, stop it. Stop!" Emma pounded on his chest as he backed off. "I'll come over to your place tonight, okay? Just not now." She whispered submissively, walking furiously across the street. Emma hoped that no one had seen what had just happened as she rushed over to the new Ferrari her parents had gotten her after her mother scored big in the lottery. It was amazing how being rich had changed her personality … and everything.

"Where do you get off making an accusation like that? The burning of the Cameron house has nothing to do with the battered girl." Evan tried to explain to Mandy, throwing his jacket into the car and later slamming the door.

"They were dating. It happened on the same night and some of the neighbors even saw Kendra Mason at the Cameron house a couple of hours before it started burning. Don't you think that's a little weird?" She wondered.

"Maybe, but there's not much else that we can do—"

"Until she regains consciousness." Mandy finished. "I think she will. Not many could've lasted a beating like that and when she does come to … the son of a bitch that did this to her will be locked up."

"So, who's your favorite artist? Your favorite band?" Craig wondered, playing around with his acoustic guitar.

"Well, do you mean past or present?" Ellie wondered.

"Either."

"Then I would have to say Fiona Apple and … POD, and Simple Plan." Ellie smiled. "I have too many favorites to choose. And you?"

"Me, me and oh yeah me." Craig joked.

"Yeah, let's not be arrogant." Ellie motioned for the guitar playing a few notes. "Surprised huh? My father taught me when I was little, but I haven't played in years." Ellie smiled.

"Looks like I have some competition." Craig stated, admiring Ellie from afar. "You know you're not anything like I thought you were."

"Did the loner, cynical bitch act fool you too?" Ellie stopped playing.

"Yeah. Why do you do that … pretend that you're something you're not?" Craig wondered.

Ellie took a deep breath in. "Because, no one really wants to know the truth and it's just easier to hide, you know?" She looked down shyly. "People would rather believe that I'm still a fragile recluse, so I let them. That way, I can weed out the ones who are just bull shitting me and the one's that really care and matter."

"And what am I?" Craig dared to ask, leaning in closer to Ellie. No girl had ever exposed so much of herself to soon to him and she was turning out just to be what he needed since his relationship with Ash was definitely over.

Ellie smiled, flattered. "Well, you're definitely genuine and…" She moved in closer as if she was going to kiss him. "and … you're a good friend." Ellie hopped off of the couch, coming to her senses. "It's really getting late and I should get home." She pulled on her jacket, brushing her hair over her shoulders.

"Hey Ellie." Craig walked over to her, opening the door and holding onto her arm. "Goodnight." He briefly kissed Ellie who was so caught off guard that she actually wore her emotions on her sleeve and smile.

"Thanks." Ellie backed away still smiling. The night wasn't a complete bust after all.

(A/N: I am trying to end this story in nine chapters and I don't think they'll be a sequel. Just keep reviewing … tell me what was good, bad, what you want or don't want, and what you expect. –NL)

**To come: Kendra in the hospital, Emma's revenge, and a broken friendship**


	6. Waiting for You to Come Along

**Chapter Six: Waiting for You to Come Along**

"I'm telling you, it was probably just a cooking fire." Evan explained as Mandy kept looking around.

"No, I don't think so. We can't go on probablys here and from the looks of the body--" Mandy began to counter.

"What body? It was practically demolished and all the evidence gone with it." Evan retorted, getting tired of Mandy's paranoid nature.

"What has the lab found out?" She asked still looking around the barely standing house.

"They've only had the body for three days now."

"That's almost a week. Do you remember what I first said when we saw it … about the blow to the head, and even where he was found. There is no way that he accidentally set the house on fire, and hit himself on the back of the head before almost escaping. Something is going on here and I'm going to find out what." Mandy debated looking back on the footprints they had found earlier. They led to Kendra Mason and she was unable to help them now. Their last hope was probably that vomit they had found near Kendra's dumpsite because she didn't look like she was going to make it.

"If you want real answers, why don't you just pray for that girl to come to? She's the only one who can tell us what's going on." Evan suggested as they walked out towards their car. Emma, who had been watching from a neighbor's bush, moved slowly s she wouldn't be seen.

"But what if she doesn't make it? What if whoever did this comes to finish the job …" Mandy's voice trailed off as both detectives got into the car and Emma sighed with relief. That detective was a genius. All they had to do was finish what they started and get rid of Kendra once and for all.

* * *

"Hey, I went to Sean's house today." Emma admitted, waiting at Craig Manning's house until Ellie had come out, and instantly bringing her friend down from cloud nine.

"What are you doing here? And what where you doing there … didn't you listen to anything I said? We don't know each other and you've had little contact with Sean since he came back. Why would you be at his house like that?" Ellie scolded, pushing Emma behind a tree where they couldn't be seen.

"I'm always left in the dark about everything. If you had just taken care of Kendra in the first place, we wouldn't be here sweating it out." Emma shot back, coming here and going to Sean's house to provoke emotion and attention from Ellie more than anything else. She hated to be ignored.

"Well, the fire nearly destroyed everything else, so what do we have to worry about? There is no way Kendra's going to come out of it and remember. She was knocked unconscious with a blow to the head." Ellie backed away and started walking home. "I know these things."

"Why are you walking? We can take my car." Emma suggested as Ellie shrugged.

"We don't know each other, remember?" Ellie finished, still walking away.

"Ellie … Jay spoke to me today." Emma began.

"And?"

"I'm in a bind." She looked down, feeling vulnerable.

"Why don't you just pay him? Your parents will get over it." Ellie responded.

"Because he'll think he's won and they'll give me crap about it. We already have enough to worry about."

"But he _is _winning." Ellie threw up her hands, continuing to walk home. Emma looked down, feeling rejected. She remembered when Ellie used to care and used to hug her and treat her like—

"Hey!" Craig yelled, evidently watching them from his front door.

"What?" She growled defensively as Craig shrugged, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

"Do you have my money?" Jay questioned as soon as Emma answered the door.

"You're the one with the genius IQ. You tell me." Emma tossed her hair behind her, walking into his house. "Your parents home?"

"Are they ever?" Jay placed his hands in Emma's back pockets as she looked down. "You don't have to look so depressed about it. I mean all you have to do is pay me."

"Don't you get it Jay? I'm not interested in you. I never was and never will be." She shot back, her words stinging.

"Yeah, I forgot you swing the other way. Tell me, has Ellie bitten yet?" Jay snickered as Emma went to slap him in response, but he caught her hand instead.

"Look, let's just handle this right now. Take me." Emma offered, thinking about how a few months earlier, she would love this opportunity, to be on top and to have control again. But sense she and Ellie started talking about this plan … and since everything with Sean and Kendra had happened, she wasn't feeling this lifestyle anymore, especially since it meant that she was becoming more and more estranged from the only true friend she had.

"I don't want you." Jay sighed. "It's not worth it if you're going to sit there like a vegetable and not feel anything."

"Do you want me to pretend because I can. Look Jay, I really can't pay you back right now, so either take me or wait for the money." Emma opened her legs, unfazed by the fact that she was wearing a really short skirt.

"I'll wait. Go home." Jay turned away, rolling up some marijuana as she began to make her way to the door.

"You sure?" Emma asked, sounding like a little girl with tears in her eyes.

"Go!" He yelled. She didn't get it. Jay wanted more from Emma than just the physical, but she couldn't give that to him. She was only willing to open up to Ellie, and he would wait until Emma came to her senses and changed her mind.

* * *

_Some weeks later_

Ellie and Craig just sat beside each other smiling and blushing, in Ellie's case, as thoughthey shared a secret that no one else could ever know. Although in the middle of art class, one of Ellie's favorites, she couldn't concentrate. All she could think about was how this thing with Craig was turning into something big, something more than she ever expected.

Ellie felt alive again and felt a reason to get up earlier in the mornings and dress up. She actually cared what she looked like in the morning, which never happened before. Craig took her hand in his suddenly as she rested her head on his shoulder. It was so perfect, so comfortable, so—

"Ms. Nash and Mr. Manning. We are on school property and this is a learning environment." Their art teacher commented as everyone stopped and turned around, including Emma. Ellie blushed, giving Craig a quick kiss before going to her assigned seat. Even that brief moment of her lips touching his was enough to send electricity through her body and Ellie couldn't wait until she could see him again.

* * *

"Come on Kendra, we know you can make it through this." Spinner pleaded, holding onto his sister's hand. Her vital signs were good and she was getting better, but still hadn't gotten out of her coma yet.

"I don't think she's coming out of it anytime soon." Emma walked in, instantly feeling out of place.

"What are you doing here?" He snarled, reiterating her early feelings of misplacement.

"I skipped class since I hadn't been here to see Kendra yet." Emma started to explain as Spinner looked at her oddly. "What? She was my friend too."

"Yeah, but you haven't cared about her since Sean left." Spinner shot back.

"That's not true … it's …" Emma stopped realizing that it was true. The last thing she remembered doing with Kendra as a 'friend' was taking her to a key party and getting her drunk. "Well, people change. I'd like to think that if I were in the hospital, almost dead, she'd be there too you know?"

"She's not dead!" Spinner yelled suddenly, revealing red-rimmed eyes.

"Of course not." Emma sighed. She had originally come here to finish the job, to inject Kendra with a seemingly neutral chemical that would eventually kill her, but seeing Spinner like this actually got to her. Ellie always told her what to do and when to do it, leaving Emma behind to do the hard stuff while she fiddled around with Craig. That was who this was really about and she was going to end it. Tonight. "I've gotta go." Emma placed some flowers near Kendra's bed and walked away, making sure to toss the vile on her way out.

* * *

"Hey." Craig greeted Ellie hugging her and kissing her immediately. He had waited all day for that, to show her how much he cared about her.

"What's that for?" She wondered as he handed her a flower. "We're going out to lunch."

"But it's already three." Ellie smiled. "Lunch is over."

"Dinner?" He corrected.

"Too early." Ellie grinned again, smelling the rose that was in her hands.

"Brunch?" Craig wrapped his arm around Ellie's back, kissing her again.

"Yeah." She whispered detachedly, suddenly only concerned around kissing Craig back and how good it felt. To have no worries, to—

"Looks like the freak is finally getting some!" Emma yelled, as a bunch of the "popular crew" jeered and made lewd comments behind her. "Looks like she's not a dyke after all!" Emma continued, secretly wishing that she was in Craig's shoes right now … at least then, she'd _matter _to Ellie.

Flicking them off, Ellie and Craig engaged in a tongue battle, partially to give them a show and partially because Ellie wanted to and she'd never kissed him like that before. "Let's go." She whispered after a while. All of the other "popular kids" had gone on about their business—either leaving or talking about something else. Only Emma's eyes were left watching, drilling a hole into Ellie's back.

* * *

_Two hours later…_

"I brought you here because I know it's your favorite." Craig admitted as the waiter brought out some paella.

"How did you know?" Elli forced herself to smile, trying not to think about the last time she had eaten paella. It hadn't been since … since she'd murdered Sean.

"Are you okay?" Craig asked, noticing that Ellie was hardly touching her food.

"I'm good." Ellie nodded, forcing some food into her mouth, but immediately running to the bathroom, retching. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Ellie noticed that she looked sickly pale and was breathing hard. Flashbacks of that night still plagued her and the room starting spinning. "I've got to get out of here." She said and repeated to herself, walking past Craig, who was left confused.

* * *

Ding dong Emma rang the bell to Craig's house. "What are you doing here?" He answered in response.

"If you let me in, I'll tell you." She offered as Craig began to close the door. "It's about Ellie." Emma added just before he closed the door.

"Come in." He moved aside for her as Emma touched his chest softly. This wasn't going to be too hard. She knew why she was doing this and it was going to make everything better.

Sitting down, Emma wondered, "Don't I get anything to drink?" Craig nodded, heading to the kitchen as Emma added, to Craig's drink, a substance that would get him intoxicated.

"Thanks." Emma smiled warmly.

"So what do you have to tell me about Ellie?" Craig wondered, suspiciously, trying _not _to look at Emma's halter dress with it's plunging neckline.

"She's doing better … a little disoriented, but she'll be fine tomorrow. Geez, what did you do to her Manning?" Emma joked, as Craig took a sip from his drink.

"We're not here to chit-chat. Tell me what's going on." He demanded.

"She has a present for you … an apology letter for you." Emma admitted, standing up.

"Okay, so where is it?"

"At my house." She smiled, trying to be platonic, yet flirty, but a subtle platonic flirty.

"Yeah right." Craig shot back.

"Fine." Emma shrugged. "Later.

"Wait." Craig scribbled down a note for Joey, grabbed his jacket and followed Emma.

"So, where it is?" Craig asked again.

"In my bedroom." Emma joked as Craig reached for the door. "No. Please." She begged. "Just stay a while."

"Where are you parents?" He wondered, looking around.

"Who knows? When you can hand your daughter thousands of dollars, who needs to be there to actually watch her, to care?" Emma shrugged. They sat in silence as Craig realized how similar his situation was to hers. His father was like that too. "I'm getting that letter now." Emma ran up the stairs, not expecting Craig to follow her, but starting the recording just in case.

"Here you go." She handed the letter to him as he nodded. Standing there for a while, Emma wondered, "Why are you still here?"

"I know what it's like to be alone, t-to not have anyone be there. I want you to know that … I'll always be there for you." Craig whispered, noticing the gun sitting on her drawer.

"Oh no. I'm not—" Her words were shushed by Craig's lips on hers. "Do you want to?" Emma wondered as he nodded, being led to her bed.

* * *

"Are you feeling better?" Emma wondered, running a cool cloth over Ellie's head. They were back at their secret hideout and things were back to normal. Almost. There was still a chance that Ellie would go back to Craig, but Emma had taken care of it. She smiled at the disk recording in her hands.

"It's just that … I'm …" Ellie finished talking in circles. Emma almost felt bad for her, but what was done was done. She needed to know that Craig was no good, that he was doing Emma on the side.

"I'm going to go." Emma got up slowly. "Want me to take you home?" Ellie nodded as Emma hugged her friend taking in all of her scents. "Don't forget this." She handed her the disk.

"What is it?" Ellie asked, still feeling nauseated from earlier.

"A gift."

* * *

"We've got good news." Evan began as soon as Mandy answered the phone, not even giving her a chance to say hello.

"What?"

"That puke we found was from partially digested paella and Kendra Mason has come out of her coma."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's solve this." Mandy replied, excitedly.

* * *

Emma picked up her diary. It was falling apart, yet she couldn't bare to throw it away. After all these years at Degrassi of not having anything to write every single day, she had something that was worth writing about. Stopping where she left off, Emma continued writing about how much she hated seeing Ellie and Craig together, how it tore at her heart. She almost cried, recounting the scene with Jay before smiling to herself about her physical encounter with Craig. Now, her life would definitely be on track, and she'd have this to remind her of all the stupid shit she had overcome.

(A/N: I know it was a lot, but it'll be over in three chapters, and I don't want to string you guys along more than I have to. Anyway, just keep reviewing and you'll keep getting more. And in case you didn't notice, this story is highly inspired by the movie _Murder By Numbers_, so go rent it! Much love. –NL)


	7. Do You Know I Die?

Chapter Seven: Do You Know I Die?

"Ellie." Emma began, sitting on the side of her friend's bed and waiting for to wake up.

"Yeah?" She mumbled, still out of it.

"Why did you stand me up for Craig? I thought we were friends. Huh?" Emma wrapped her arms around Ellie's neck, choking her.

"Em-Emma." Ellie choked out, unable to believe that they were going through this again.

"Did you sleep with him? You did, didn't you? I can tell … you're glowing." Emma declared, still choking her friend. "You liked it didn't you? I can tell. You're such a slut." Emma eased up a little.

"I didn't do anything. All we did was kiss." Ellie promised calmly. She knew that Emma would never kill her and that if she even tried, the police would have her in a few seconds. "You don't have the guts to." She challenged as Emma let go.

"You're right. But I did do some investigating of my own." Emma smiled. "Are you sure you know enough about Craig Manning?" She turned on Ellie's computer.

"What did you do?" Ellie sat up suddenly.

"It's not about what I did, but what your little boyfriend did." Emma placed the disk into the computer, leaving it up to Ellie as to whether she would watch it or not. "See you."

Ellie played the floppy disk, unprepared to watch an intense sex scene between Emma and Craig. "No." She whispered to herself, trying not to cry. This couldn't be true. Craig wouldn't do this to—ring. The telephone.

"Now you'll see who your real friends are. I'd never do that to you." Emma's voice vowed on the other line. "I hope you're not mad, but I had to do it. Craig's not good enough for you. He was only using you for one thing. I would never let anyone hurt you and … he's not good enough for you Elle. He's just like your mother and everyone else who just uses you and blows you off. I'm the only one who really cares about you. You're amazing." Emma professed as Ellie looked out of her window. Emma was watching from her car.

"Whatever." Ellie mumbled, closing the window and closing the blind.

Emma quietly cursed herself. This was not how she thought it was going to go. Ellie didn't even let her finish telling her about how she felt. "Just hear me out." She continued. "Word is that Kendra is out of her coma and … we've got to fix that before we …"

"I don't want to anymore." Ellie admitted, opening up her favorite digital picture of her and Emma, erasing it. It was over.

"But we have to. We made a pact. I'll take care of Kendra and I'll meet you … you know where on Friday at seven, okay?" Emma asked as Ellie nodded. She knew what had to be done here.

* * *

"Kendra Mason. I'm detective Romalotti and I'm here to ask you a few questions." Manny pressed even though Kendra looked far from one hundred percent. 

"Okay … How's Sean?" She asked, confused. No one had given Kendra a straight answer on anything yet.

"Why don't you tell me what you remember and then I'll fill in the rest, okay?" Evan offered.

"If you tell me about Sean." Kendra promised.

"We will." Evan nodded, pressing play on his hidden tape recorder and pulling out a note pad.

"So what were you doing the night of January 31st?" Mandy wondered as Kendra spewed out everything she remembered—from the break-in, to almost saving Sean, and later coming face to face two attackers.

"Were they female?" Evan asked, still taking notes. This wasn't looking as good as he had hoped.

"Both of them. They were small too, skinny I mean, but they had a lot of strength." Kendra struggled to say, coughing suddenly.

"Are you okay?" Mandy wondered, handing her some water.

"Yeah. Anymore questions?" Kendra responded, wanting to get this over. Whoever did this to her and Sean were going to pay for it.

"Do you have any clues who would've done it? Any of Sean's ex-girlfriends have anything against him?" Mandy looked suddenly interested.

"Well, Sean hasn't had too many girlfriends. He went out with Amy, who doesn't even go to Degrassi, Emma Nelson for a little the year before last, and Ellie Nash last year, before he ran off to Wasaga Beach."

"Wasaga Beach?" Mandy began to take over the investigation as Evan sat quietly.

"Yeah. His parents live there and he needed to get away from everything after the shooting—you heard about that no doubt … Sean struggled with the fact that he killed Rick for a while, but it was all to save Emma." Kendra looked down sadly. "I've told you all that I know, so where's Sean? What does he know?" Mandy and Evan looked at each other, trying to think of how to break this to her.

"Kendra Mason." The nurse began, interrupting the questioning. "You have a visitor." Emma appeared behind her with flowers again, and a smile.

"What are you doing here?" Kendra sat up, suspicious.

"Can we have a little privacy here?" Emma asked as the detectives nodded, Evan purposely leaving his tape recorder on in its hidden location.

"We're just leaving our things in here. You have five minutes." Mandy declared, looking at Evan. He had gotten the hint. The tape recorder wasn't in his hands.

"So, what do you want Emma?" Kendra repeated.

"I'm really sorry about what happened to you … and Sean." She whispered with fake sympathy.

"What happened to Sean? Is he all right?" Kendra's eyes darted around the room nervously as Emma started looking around, stopping at the tubes that Kendra was hooked up to and completely dependent upon to live. If she unplugged them, the detectives would be right out there and catch her, but … if she slipped this into the tube, it would work slowly and no one would have any trace of what had happened. Emma made a small slit in the liquid pack and smiled. Ellie was a genius, coming up with this chemical.

"Sean's dead." Emma sighed, forcing her eyes to tear up as she cried. Emma quickly slipped the chemical into Kendra's life pack, then rushed over to hug Kendra and consol her.

"How?"

"A fire." Emma muttered, running her hands through Kendra's wild hair.

"Fire?" Kendra looked up abruptly as some other images started to come to mind … she had been hit once, no twice and Sean attacked the attackers. One took off their mask—she gasped. It couldn't be Emma. She was imagining things … filling in the blanks to help her remember. "Emma." Kendra whispered, feeling weak all-of-a-sudden. "I'm tired." Emma nodded as if she understood, leaving the flowers on the dresser and letting the detectives back in.

"A fire." Kendra whispered again, able to feel the fire on her skin … how hot and stuffy it was. "Sean … no …" Kendra continued to yell out random things including references to two of Sean's three other girlfriends.

"Oh my God. She's burning up." Mandy noted as the doctors were called in and the detectives were whisked away. Kendra was doing worse than before and things began to look grim.

* * *

"What the hell is this?" Ellie threw the disk at Craig the next day she saw him in the hallway. 

"A floppy disk." He answered, confused., picking it up.

"Wrong answer asshole. How could you sleep with her? What were you thinking? Didn't you learn _anything _from your relationship with Ashley!" Ellie yelled as Craig took her by the arm and pulled her into a corner where no one else could hear what she was saying.

"Ellie have you lost it? I don't get it. We had such a good time Friday night." Craig said as Ellie looked away from him, disinterested.

"You slept with Emma. You whore." Ellie pushed past his shoulder, beginning to walk away.

"Emma … I …" Craig's voice trailed off. He could barely remember what happened last weekend after Ellie.

"At least you took care of that." Emma smiled, walking close to Ellie, but not so close that people would think they were chummy.

"That goes for you too. Stay away from me slut." Ellie's steps became heavier, a symbol for her anger and nearness to an emotional break-down.

"Ellie, you still aren't mad at that, are you?" She followed her to the woods behind the school.

"No, I thank you for being such a great friend and taking care of things. I really appreciate you fucking the only guy I give a shit about right now." Ellie admitted as Emma walked backwards as if she had been slapped.

"You actually care about that dickhead? Come on Elle. I'm you're only real friend. The only one who car—"

"Save it." Ellie backed away slowly, unable to take this anymore. She would be glad when all of this would be over, so she wouldn't have to face either one of them anymore.

(A/N: I have two more chapters until I'm done ... actually I only have to write one more now. I hope you like and keep commenting. Thanks so much for supporting this fiction! --NL)


	8. Do You Know I Cry?

Chapter Eight: Do You Know I Cry?

"The hospital called back. That Mason girl is dead." Evan informed Mandy who looked up, shocked.

"How? They said that she would make it, that her vital signs were normal."

"Did you notice how her temperature went up after that Emma girl visited her? And Kendra didn't seem too happy to see her when she first arrived." Evan began. "Maybe she knows something that she didn't want us to know. She might know who tried to kill Kendra."

"Or, she might the one who did it." Mandy suggested as Evan shook her head. She was always jumping to conclusions. "No, listen to me. If she dumped Kendra's body, it's because she thought that she was dead. I believe Emma came here to finish the job." Mandy finished.

"But that makes no sense. Why take the chance?" Evan shot back. Before Mandy could answer, the mail carrier came in and had her sign in for the samples she had gotten out of Ellie Nash's trash can, and the puke sample.

"What's that?" Evan wondered.

"This is going to determine who dumped the body." Mandy opened the package excitedly. "Ellie Nash. The puke sample is from Ellie Nash."

"But that would mean …"

"They were in on it together Evan. Emma and Ellie. They may not admit it, but I'm going to catch them." She smiled.

* * *

"Why was that cop hanging out here?" Emma asked Ellie as soon as they were behind the school and out of view.

"How would I know? They're probably just messing with us. They've got _nothing_. Besides, Amy is more of a suspect than us. She and Sean had such a nasty break-up." Ellie smiled. She never liked the bitch.

"I don't know … I'm still a little worried." Emma began.

"Well, don't be. And stop speaking to me in public." Ellie commanded as Emma brushed Ellie's hair behind her ear.

"This would be so simple … so perfect."

"What?" Ellie looked at Emma, unable to see why they had been friends in the first place, how they had made it work.

"Me and you. What if we just took off and just rode into the sunset." She laughed.

"Headed where?" Ellie entertained the idea, more concerned about herself rather than she and Emma.

"Anywhere." Emma smiled, hugging Ellie suddenly.

"They say anywhere is a road to nowhere." Ellie shot back, pushing her off.

"Well, somewhere where I can be somebody, where I can be happy." Emma smiled, off in fantasy land.

"Happiness doesn't exist, I mean not for long. It's always fleeting like the night into the day or like a rainbow into the sunset. Nothing is forever … and that's why you know why we can't leave. You know what we have to do." Ellie explained as Emma nodded.

"When?"

"Two days."

* * *

"So, you know Ellie Nash?" Evan asked Craig as soon as school was out.

"And Emma Nelson. What's this about?" He asked, concerned.

"Are they friends, I mean do they hang out together?" Evan continued.

"Not at school. At school, they're avowed enemies, but I don't know with them … it's weird because they're always with each other but … not. But there is a disk that Emma made—I guess she didn't like me being with Ellie." Craig babbled, still unknowing of what he was getting himself into.

"And?"

"Oh, you want the disk?" Craig handed it to Evan. "So, what's this about?"

"There have been two murders." He answered simply.

"And you think Ellie had something to do with it?" Craig wondered as Evan shrugged. He'd gotten all he could out of this kid.

* * *

_The next day _

"What are you doing here?" Ellie shrieked at Emma who had found her at the restaurant, and wrapped her arm around Ellie's shoulder.

"I came to see you. I've missed you." Emma laughed. She was evidently drunk.

"No public places." Ellie pushed her away and run off, leaving Emma alone in the dark. Walking towards her car, Emma noticed that someone had been watching her … actually, she _felt _it.

"What do we have here?" She smiled, upon seeing detective Evan.

"Hey Emma. I was just in the neighborhood." He lied.

"Oh really?" Emma laughed seductively, running her hands along the frame of the window. She could easily see the camera, and could only imagine what he had been doing. "Care to give me a ride home?" She wondered.

"Didn't you drive out here?"

"The car's broken." Emma lied, getting into the car. "You know … everyone wants something." She licked her lips as Evan moved the camera out of her view.

"Really?"

"Yeah … and I. Want. You." Emma ran her hands along his jaw leaning in for a kiss.

"You know, this isn't a good idea." Evan got out of the car as Emma fell onto the driver's seat, laughing.

"Why are you playing games?" She glanced back at the camera, unable to think straight because of the alcohol.

"I think you should go home Emma."

"And if I don't?" Emma rushed over to the other side of the car, pressing on Evan.

"No." He pushed her away, intending to be gentle, but instead sending Emma sprawling on the concrete. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"You sure are." Emma giggled, blowing a kiss at Evan, yet to pay any attention to her scraped up arm.

* * *

"Bring 'em in for questioning." Mandy demanded. "We want to get a confession out of at least one of them and--"

"Do you blame me for what happened?" Evan wondered out-of-the-blue.

"You mean last night?" Mandy retorted. "No."

"I mean, you saw what that girl did to her own best friend—making a tape of her sleeping with her friend's boyfriend. I can't be blamed, can I?"

"Of course not. No one's blaming you…" Mandy's voice trailed off as she noticed the girls sitting in two opposite rooms. "I'll even take blondie. For your sake." She added before walking into the room.

* * *

"You wanted me meet me?" Craig asked as he looked up to see Ellie in front of him. They met on the stairs at the front of the school, like she requested, which was weird because she hadn't spoken to him since she'd seen the disk.

"You care for me right?" Ellie wondered, hoping that the cops hadn't recruited Craig for any information. They were starting to creep her out being around all the time, but she and Emma were smarter. They had already proved that.

"What kind of question is that? Is there something going on?" Craig laid down his guitar.

"I never got a chance to ask you ... why did you and Ash break up? I mean compared to you and I that relationship seemed so perfect." Ellie admitted, speaking to someone that 24 hours earlier, she would've pushed away her feelings for Craig, but she didn't know _what _was going to happen within the next few days.

"So this is about Ashley now? Ellie, I don't get you. You haven't talked to me in the last couple of weeks and then you meet me here to talk about Ash."

"Did you cheat on her?" Ellie wondered suddenly, suppressing the urge to look at him.

"Ellie, what's your problem? You can tell me what's going on." Craig promised.

"I brought this on myself because Ashley used to me my friend and now look at me. I'm hanging out with her old boyfriend." Ellie laughed to herself. "Karma is a bitch."

"Chill out." Craig chimed in, taking Ellie's hand in his. "What's going on? Why did you want to meet me here?"

"To say goodbye." Ellie tried to walk away, realizing that this entire idea was just a mistake.

"Don't." Craig pulled her back. "You can't. W-We have a ... philosophy session." He explained lamely.

"I'll need a ride to your house." She whispered in response, more focused on his hand encompassing hers than anything else.

"Cool. It'll be all right." He promised, wrapping his arm around Ellie's waist, walking her to his car. Somehow he was going to get to the bottom of this ... and do whatever he could to mend his relationship with Ellie.

(A/N: One chapter until I'm finished! I've made it my mission to finish all of my stories this summer—or t least the most important ones, so stay tuned and if you've been reading this one and you liked it, check out _Double Standard_ or even _Wild Horses_. And this story **is not** based off of Wild Things but Murder By Numbers. –NL)


	9. And it's Not the Good Kind

Chapter Nine: And it's Not the Good Kind

"Ellie's already talking in there Emma. It's all a matter of who speaks first, who's willing to make a deal." Mandy pressed as Emma looked around, confused. She had a huge hang-over from the night before and she had no idea what she was going to do or say. This all involved too much thinking …and Ellie was always better at that than she was.

"What does Ellie have to do with me?" She wondered, playing the stupid card.

"We have evidence … we know about the tape with Craig. We know _everything_."

"So why am I here?" Emma asked slyly, wishing that she was being questioned by the hotter one, but this Mandy person would do.

* * *

"So this is how I see it." Evan began. "I'm guessing that Emma came up with the idea. She had a rough break-up with Sean, and couldn't take it when he came back to you, and then to Kendra. She needed revenge, and recruited you for that—but only for her own interests. She always was a little narcissistic." Evan smiled as though he knew everything already.

"And where are you going with this?" Ellie questioned, purposely wearing long sleeves today to cover up her scars from when she used to cut. She didn't want them connecting her to whatever "profile" this murderer was supposed to have.

"I'm just saying that if you will just tell me what you really know … all you know, you might **not **see prison time. Only the person that actually killed someone will get the prison time." Evan elaborated as Ellie shrugged.

"Why don't you tell me what you _think _went down." She suggested.

* * *

"I'm thinking that it was Ellie." Mandy continued, while Evan said the exact opposite.

* * *

"I bet it was Emma. You were too smart to leave behind evidence, and then to murder that Mason girl right in front of us."

"And then there was the puke sample. We know all about that." Evan looked at Ellie closely, looking for any sign of change in her mood or movements.

"What puke?" She gave in, suddenly interested.

"Well, it seems that whoever dumped Kendra for dead threw up and we got a sample of that."

"But that doesn't mean anything. Those woods are well-crossed over." Ellie protested. "And we don't have crime technology like that in this city."

"Looks like we found it. Would you like to know the results?"

* * *

"Ellie's in there, she told us about how you've been stalking her. She says this whole fiscal was your idea." Mandy smiled. "Is that true?"

"Of course not. I don't know what you're talking about." Emma lied as Mandy shrugged and walked towards the door.

"Wait a minute. Come here." She whispered, looking around at an empty room, unaware of the fact that their entire questioning was being taped.

"Okay." Mandy smiled as she began to read the Miranda Rights. "You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say and do--"

"That's enough." Ms. Nelson walked into the room, cradling her daughter as Emma pushed her off.

"Come on mom."

* * *

"So this is it." Emma smiled nervously as she and Ellie sat across from one another. Taking out an old rusty box, she handed Ellie a knife, careful to give her the sharp one. All she could think about now was the fact that she had given the police her story and … all she had to do was get rid of Ellie. Two months ago, the thought of Ellie being dead would kill her, but not tonight. Not after she had betrayed her.

Reciting a few words that glorified the act of suicide, both girl's pressed the knives against their wrists. Emma hesitated as she watched a thin stream of blood appear on Ellie's arm.

"Let me see your knife." Ellie demanded suddenly as Emma froze.

"Come on Elle."

"Give it to me." Emma handed Ellie the knife, as Ellie discovered that it wasn't even real. "You were going to watch me slit my wrists? Backstabber." Ellie held the knife up to Emma's throat contemplating what to do next.

Almost on cue, she heard a car pull into the abandoned house they always hung out at.

"Go ahead. Kill me. You've already taken away my spirit anyway." Emma pressed.

"You're the one that slept with Craig." Ellie shot back.

"Just do it. Do it. Do it!" Emma yelled as Ellie noticed Mandy coming into the house. She turned the knife back to her wrist.

"This is the only way we can have justice." Ellie forced false tears out of her eyes, as Mandy yelled.

"No. This isn't the way Ellie. Come with me." Ellie dropped the knife and rushed to Mandy's side, but Emma intercepted.

"No. I will **not **let you chose another person over me." Emma grabbed the knife as both girls began to struggle with it.

"Don't do this Emma." Ellie pleaded as Emma shook her head furiously.

"I won't live without you. I won't do it!" She yelled. Ellie was the only person that she could run to for real love … when she needed someone to hug her or just tell her that she **meant **something. And she wasn't going to let that go.

"No!" Ellie shouted back.

In a fit of confusion, Emma crumpled to the floor with a sick, sad smile on her face. "I … love …" Her voice trailed off as Ellie was left with the murder weapon in her hand. Falling to her knees, she looked down at Emma's lifeless body.

This wasn't how this was supposed to happen. Not like this. Not with Mandy standing right there. "No!" She yelled, rushing towards Mandy with the knife. She was the last thing standing between Ellie and total freedom, total retribution. Confused and all alone, Ellie was no longer thinking straight. She didn't care what happened to her. She'd lost a sister over nothing and someone was going to pay.

"Ellie!" Mandy yelled, looking away and shooting twice before she heard Ellie's body fall to the ground with a jolt. And it was all over.

**(A/N: I know the ending was a little disappointing, but I didn't want to make it exactly like the movie. Just watch Murder By Numbers with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Gosling, and you'll see what I mean. It's kind of ironic that I even did this story because me and my sister make fun of the movie all the time. I hoped you liked it for what it was worth and make sure to check out "Double Standard." Chapter five has just much drama as this entire story, if not more! Also, I'm back from vacation and will bemaking a sequel to "WildHorses" sostay tuned.Much love. –NL) **


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